Canoe motor mount

ABSTRACT

A canoe motor mount having a motor mount member positionable at the stern of the canoe and being held there by attachment means connected to the canoe. The motor mount member includes a Vshaped notch for resting the member downwardly onto the keel at the canoe stern. The attachment means includes a wedge-shaped portion which can be snugly disposed at the upper edges of the canoe sides and is for various sizes of canoes. Adjustable connectors are included in the attachment means and extend to the motor mount member so that the motor mount member and the wedgeshaped portion can both be in snug contact with the canoe. This renders the entire structure adaptable to canoes of different sizes.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Jack '1. Nourse Kenosha, Wis. [21] Appl. No. 817,404 [22] Filed Apr. 18, 1969 [45] Patented Aug. 24, 1971 [73] Assignee NO-Mld Mu'lneJnc. Racine, Wk.

s41 CANOE MOTOR MOUNT 7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 248/4, 115/17 [51] Int. Cl B6311 21/26 [50] Field olSearch..... 248/4,16, 25,2; 115/17, 18

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,141,196 6/1915 McLaren 115/17 2,475,889 7/1949 l-lafele 248/4 3,473,764 10/1969 Hopper 248/4 FOREIGN PATENTS 926,773 5/1963 Great Britain 248/4 Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-J. Franklin Foss Attorney-Arthur J. Hansmann ABSTRACT: A canoe motor mount having a motor mount member positionable at the stern of the canoe and being held there by attachment means connected to the canoe. The motor mount member includes a V-shaped notch for resting the member downwardly onto the keel at the canoe stem. The attachment means includes a wedge-shaped portion which can be snugly disposed at the upper edges of the canoe sides and is for various sizes of canoes. Adjustable connectors are included in the attachment means and extend to the motor mount member so that the motor mount member and the wedge-shaped portion can both be in snug contact with the canoe. This renders the entire structure adaptable to canoes of different sizes.

PATENTEUAUSZMQH 3 5013 4 54 INVENTOR:

JACK r. IVOURSE 2 /9 F] 3 ATTORNEY CANOE MOTOR MOUNT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a motor mount for canoes of different sizes. More particularly, the structure disclosed herein provides the means for mounting an outboard motor onto a canoe for powering the canoe through the water. The motor mount disclosed is in the nature of an attachment to canoes of different sizes.

The prior art shows different ways of mounting outboard motors onto-canoes. Most of these prior mounts include the structure for supporting the outboard motor at the stern of the canoe, and they include the structure for securing the motor support to the canoe at a point spaced forwardly of the stern and therefore along the canoe. In most of these prior art mounts, the motor is not located in its most optimum position in that it is either too far behind the canoe or it is not at the optimum elevation which is with the cavitation plate of the motor just less than 1 inch under the surface of the water when the canoe is occupied and not in motion. Examples of such prior art are shown in US. Pat. No. 2,475,889 and in a much earlier US. Pat. No. 1,118,208.

Accordingly, the present invention improves upon motor mounts and it does so by positioning the motor in a more optimum position relative to the canoe for safe, efficient, and controllable powering of the canoe. Further, the present invention provides an inexpensive and economical type of motor mount, and one which is adaptable to canoes of various sizes. Also, the motor mount of the present invention is adaptable to different types of canoes by making only a relatively slight change in the structure and thus rendering it suitable for the two different types of canoes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of one embodiment of this invention, showing a fragment of the canoe stern and showing the outboard motor in dotted lines.

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of a portion of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, but showing it from a slightly different angle. 4

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2 and with the view being slightly enlarged.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a portion of a part which is of a different embodiment and is substituted for the part shown in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a fragment of a canoe 10 having sides 11 and 12 which are converging and thereby form the canoe hull terminating at the canoe keel 13 which is at the juncture of the sides 11 and 12, all in a well-known and conventional canoe structure. Also, the upper edges of the sides 11 and 12 have gunnels l4 and 16, which are provided in the usual manner of canoe construction. Finally, the canoe shown in FIG. 1 has a deck 17 extending between the sides 11 and 12 through the stern portion of the canoe 10. It will also be noticed that the canoe stern edge, defined as the keel 13, is arcuately shaped and extend in its curvature both above and below a horizontal plane H."

With the canoe structure in mind, it will then be seen that a motor mount member 18 is of a planer shape and may be commonly provided from wooden board material, as indicated in, FIG. 4. The member 18 has a V-shaped notch 19 in the lower side 21, which is the bottom in the mounted position shown in FIG. 1. It will then also be seen that the apex 22 of the V-notch 19 is disposed above the horizontal plane H," and thus the member 18 rests downwardly-on the keel 13 since the keel continues to curve to the rear of the motor mount 18. This provides for secure placement and support of the member 18 relative to the canoe 10. FIG. 1 then also shows the outboard motor designated 23 and shown in dotted lines. The motor 23 would be clamped or other wise secured to the mount member 18 in any conventional manner. Therefore, when the member 18 is secure with the canoe 10, the outboard motor 23 is in the secure and optimum position for powering the canoe 10. Thus the motor cavitation plate 24 is positioned at its optimum elevation, as mentioned, and the entire motor 23 is disposed close to the canoe stern 13, as desired.

It will also be noticed that the mount member 13 is planar in shape, and it is disposed at an angle of approximately l2 degrees off a vertical plane. This provides for the best position and most universal posture for the forwardly 18 in mounting the conventional outboard motor 23.

FIG. 4 further shows by dotted lines 26 that the V-shaped notch 19 extends inverted and in the plane of the member 18, and it also extends V-shaped in the horizontal plane so that the wider end of the notch 19 is forwardly disposed relative to the canoe 10. This double V-shaped for the'notch 19 therefore permits the member 18 to be snug with the canoe hull defined by the canoe converging sides 11 and 12, as the wider part of the notch 19 is forwardly disposed and therefore the entire notch can snugly receive the stern portion of the canoe for the entire depth and width of the notch 19.

Attachment means generally designated 27 include the wedge-shaped portion 28 and the adjustable connectors 29. In the assembled position on the canoe, the attachment means 27 is fixedly connected with the canoe 10' and also with the mounting member 18.

In connecting the attachment means to the canoe 10 in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, a canoe structure as shown in FIG. 1 and having the gunnels l4 and 16 is utilized. Then the wedge-shaped portion 28 clamps onto the gunnels 14 and 16. Also, a tie rod 31 extends through a sleeve 32 on the wedge-shaped portion 28 and is secured thereto by nuts 33 and 34. The rod extends forwardly of the canoe and is attached thereto by a bracket 36 affixed to the front edge of the deck 17. With this arrangement, it will be understood that the wedge-shaped piece 28 flares outwardly toward the front, as shown at the upper edge in FIG. 5, and sliding the wedgeshaped piece 28 forwardly on the canoe 10, even by means of tightening the nut 34, will snug the wedge-shaped piece 28 to the canoe 10, as desired. Also, a cushion member 37 is disposed between the vertical wall 38 of the wedge-shaped piece 28 and the canoe side 11. FIG. 3 also shows a similar cushion member 39 disposed between the, vertical wall 41 and the canoe side 12. Still further, FIG. 2 shows the cushion member 39 is itself wedge-shaped with the smaller portion disposed forwardly on the canoe, and the piece 39 is free of the wedge-shaped piece 28 so that it can be slid forwardly and below the gunnel 16 until the piece is snug with the canoe side 12 and its gunnel 16. Therefore, in this further manner, the wedge-shaped piece 28 is made snug and secure with the canoe. FIG. 3 also shows that the wedge-shaped piece 28 has a lower and horizontally disposed lip 42 which supports the adjustable cushion member 39. The same structure exists relative to the cushion member 37 and the wedge-shaped portion side 38.

The attachment means 27 receives the adjustable connectors 29 by presenting a sleeve portion 43 on each side of the wedge-shaped piece 28. Thus the forward ends of the connectors 29 are slidably received in the sleeves 43. Screws 44 are provided for final tightening of the sleeves 43 onto the connectors 29 when the final position of spacing between the member 18 and the wedge-shaped portion 28 is achieved. Such spacing of course is determined by the side and configuration of the particular canoe involved, and by this means canoes of various sizes receive the mount of only one particular size.

The connectors 29 extend rearwardly and are attached to the mount member 18 through a threaded rod 46 extending through the member 18, as shown in FIG. 4. To reinforce the connection, a plate 47, secured by screws 48, is placed over the side of the member 18 and the connectors 29, as also shown in FIG. 4.

It will therefore be understood that the wedge-shaped portion 28 will be snugly positioned on the canoe 10 by sliding it forward on the canoe and having the wedge-shaped cushion members 39 snugly disposed under the gunnels l4 and 16. Also, the mount member 18 will be snugly disposed on the canoe hull and keel 13, and when such snug positions are reached for both the wedge-shaped portion 28 and the member 18, then the nuts 33 and 34 can be tightened, and also the screws 44 can be tightened. With this arrangement, the motor mount 18 is retained downwardly on the keel 13, as desired, and the thrust of the motor 23 is transmitted to the motor mount 18 and directly to the canoe 10. Any tendency for the motor mount 18 to move upwardly on the arcuately shaped keel 13 is of course resisted by the attachment means 27 mounted and secured as described.

When the canoe does not have conventional gunnels 14 and 16, then the wedge-shaped portion 18 cannot be directly attached to the gunnels, and the tie rod 31 and its attending parts are not then required. For the canoe without gunnels, a wedge-shaped portion 51 may therefore be secured to the canoe by positioning the cushion members 37 and 39 as described, and then the wedge-shaped portion 51 is provided with the two holes 49 shown in the embodiment in FIG. 6. Screws which are not shown can then be inserted through the holes 49 and into the canoe top deck 17 so that again the wedge-shaped portion, now defined as portion 51, is secured to the canoe. Portion 51 is otherwise the same as portion 28, so that actually only one collection of parts for the structure is required to provide the mount for canoes of various sizes as well as for canoes with or without gunnels.

Also, it will be noticed that the wedge-shaped portion 28 ineludes an outer C-shaped member 52 and an inner C-shaped member 53, and these two members are secured together as by welding or the like. Still further, the sleeve 43 with its screw 44 acts in the nature of a clamp relative to the connector 29, on each side of the member 52.

To position member 18 at the desired angle of 12 off the vertical, the connectors 29 are disposed substantially horizontally when in the mounted position as shown in FIG. 1. Then the member 18 is provided with notches or cutouts 54 which are also extending at angle A of 12 but with respect to the horizontal plane. Further, the wedge-shaped members 28 and 51 both have an angle B as shown in FIG. 2, and this is 20 with the horizontal, as shown. The angle B therefore allows for the rearward upsweep of the conventional canoe, so that the wedge-shaped pieces 28 and 51 are snug along the top edges of the canoe sides and so that the connectors 29 are always substantially horizontal.

FIG. shows that the wedge-shaped pieces 28 and 51 have an angle C, and this angle is 40. Angles C accommodates the rearward convergence or taper of the canoe so that the wedgeshaped pieces 28 and 51 can be snug with the canoe regardless of the particular angle of rearward convergence of the gull or sides of the canoe.

The V-shaped notch in the mount member 18 is at an angle of 19 at the rearward side of the mount member 18 and as shown by the notch 19, and the notch 26 is at an angle of 29, and these two angles are as indicated by the respective lines 19 and 26 in FIG. 4. This means that the mount member 18 has an angle in the horizontal plane, as defined by the surfaces 19 and 26, and that angle in the horizontal plane is 32, That is to say. the mount member 18 has its V-notch arranged with the angle in D horizontal plane, as shown by the projected dotted lines D in FIG. 2, converging to the stern of the canoe, so that the V-notch will conform to the canoe and therefore have the member 18 rest downwardly onto the canoe hull.

With the relationship of parts as described, including the angles mentioned the mount member 18 is placed in its desired osition and attitude of 12 off the verticalplane, as preferred or the mounting of the motor 23 and its connection and swivel relationship on its own clamp-type mounting with the mount member 18. This permits the thrust of the motor to be applied to both the mount member 18 and the wedge-shaped pieces 28 and 51, and all pieces are shaped to conform to the general standard configuration of a canoe, regardless of particular configuration or size of the canoe.

I claim:

1. In a mounting for supporting a motor on a canoe having its sides converging and forming the canoe hull terminating at the canoe keel at the juncture of the canoe sides, and with canoe keel being arcuate in an uprightly extending curvature which extends both above and below a horizontal plane through the canoe keel, a motor mount member supported on the canoe keel, attachment means connected between said motor mount member and said canoe for retaining said motor mount member in position on the canoe keel, the improvement comprising said motor mount member being a planar piece uprightly disposed and having an inverted V-shaped notch extending into the bottom edge of said planar piece for nesting downwardly in abutment with the canoe hull at a position above the horizontal plane through the canoe keel to be upwardly supported by the canoe hull, and said attachment means including two spaced-apart walls divergently disposed nd rendering said attachment means with a wedge-shaped portion to conform to and snugly engage the converging opposite sides of the canoe, said attachment means being rigidly connected to both said motor mount member and said canoe in a manner to retain said motor mount member down on said canoe hull and to transmit the thrust of said motor to said attachment means.

2. The subject matter of claim 1, wherein said V-shaped notch extends into said motor mount member in one plane and is also V-shaped in the plane transverse to said one plane for abutably receiving both sides of the canoe adjacent the keel.

3. The subject matter of claim 1, including adjustable connectors included in said attachment means for securely spacing said motor mount member and said wedge-shaped portion selective distances apart to conform to different sizes and different angles of convergence of the sides of different canoes when both said motor mount member and said wedge-shaped portion are snugly disposed on the canoe.

4. The subject matter of claim 1, wherein said wedgeshaped portion has a cushion member disposed thereon for abutment with the canoe sides.

5. The subject matter of claim 1, and with said canoe having gunnels extending along the upper edges of the canoe sides, and wherein said wedge-shaped portion has an adjustably positionable cushion member for snug positioning with said gunnel and to secure said wedge-shaped portion to the canoe.

6. The subject matter of claim 6, wherein said cushion member is also wedge-shaped and movable along said wedgeshaped portion for the snug positioning with said gunnel.

7. The subject matter of claim 1, wherein said attachment means includes rods slidably adjustable between said motor mount member and said wedge-shaped portion for selective spacing between the latter two in snugly affixing them to the canoe.

(5/69) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 360mm Dated August 21,, 1971 Inventor(s) Jack T. Nourse It is certified that error appears in the aboveidentified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Claim 1, line 1;, before "canoe" insert --the-- Claim 1, line 17, change "nd" to --and-- Claim 6, line 1, change "Claim 6" to --Claim 5- Signed and sealed this 1 8th day of January 1 972- (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHEH,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Acting: Commissioner of Patents 

1. In a mounting for supporting a motor on a canoe having its sides converging and forming the canoe hull terminating at the canoe keel at the juncture of the canoe sides, and with canoe keel being arcuate in an uprightly extending curvature which extends both above and below a horizontal plane through the canoe keel, a motor mount member supported on the canoe keel, attachment means connected between said motor mount member and said canoe for retaining said motor mount member in position on the canoe keel, the improvement comprising said motor mount member being a planar piece uprightly disposed and having an inverted V-shaped notch extending into the bottom edge of said planar piece for nesting downwardly in abutment with the canoe hull at a position above the horizontal plane through the canoe keel to be upwardly supported by the canoe hull, and said attachment means including two spaced-apart walls divergently disposed nd rendering said attachment means with a wedge-shaped portion to conform to and snugly engage the converging opposite sides of the canoe, said attachment means being rigidly connected to both said motor mount member and said canoe in a manner to retain said motor mount member down on said canoe hull and to transmit the thrust of said motor to said attachment means.
 2. The subject matter of claim 1, wherein said V-shaped notch extends into said motor mount member in one plane and is also V-shaped in the plane transverse to said one plane for abutably receiving both sides of the canoe adjacent the keel.
 3. The subject matter of claim 1, including adjustable connectors included in said attachment means for securely spacing said motor mount member and said wedge-shaped portion selective distances apart to conform to different sizes and different angles of convergence of the sides of different canoes when both said motor mount member and said wedge-shaped portion are snugly disposed on the canoe.
 4. The subject matter of claim 1, wherein said wedge-shaped portion has a cushion member disposed thereon for abutment with the canoe sides.
 5. The subject matter of claim 1, and with said canoe having gunnels extending along the upper edges of the canoe sides, and wherein sAid wedge-shaped portion has an adjustably positionable cushion member for snug positioning with said gunnel and to secure said wedge-shaped portion to the canoe.
 6. The subject matter of claim 6, wherein said cushion member is also wedge-shaped and movable along said wedge-shaped portion for the snug positioning with said gunnel.
 7. The subject matter of claim 1, wherein said attachment means includes rods slidably adjustable between said motor mount member and said wedge-shaped portion for selective spacing between the latter two in snugly affixing them to the canoe. 